Cleantech Open National Conference and Techconnect World Join Forces To Create Silicon Valley’s Largest Cleantech Event

The Cleantech Open 2012 National Conference is joining with TechConnect World to draw an expected 4,000 cleantech leaders to the Santa Clara Convention Center on June 21, 2012.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 16, 2012: For the first time, the Cleantech Open and TechConnect are co-locating their annual conferences. From June 18-21, 2012, TechConnect World will offer the cleantech community four days of extensive networking, learning and development opportunities spanning nanotech, microtech, biotech and cleantech, located under one banner at the Santa Clara convention center.

The Cleantech Open National Conference convenes hundreds of early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs, experts, mentors and speakers from around the country for a fascinating day of presentations and showcases. This year, the Conference will debate “Has the age of cleantech finally arrived?”

Attendees of the Cleantech Open 2012 National Conference on Thursday, June 21 will be able to attend the more than 60 startup pitches featured in the TechConnect Venture Forum, along with the TechConnect Innovation Showcase, an exhibit of leading innovations in energy, electronics, materials and defense from around the world. Attendees of TechConnectWorld will be able to attend the keynotes, debates and panels at the Cleantech Open’s National Conference and visit the booths of over 100 startups in the Cleantech Open Expo.

“The Cleantech Open and TechConnect share a mission to support entrepreneurs and innovators who are developing clean-energy solutions that offer the potential to transform how we power the planet,” said Rex Northen, executive director of the Cleantech Open. “The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest cleantech accelerator, and we are delighted to be party to Silicon Valley’s central cleantech event. By co-locating our events this June, we can significantly enhance our programming and offer attendees more opportunities to connect investors with great cleantech ideas.”

“We are extremely excited to partner with the Cleantech Open this year in presenting our combined pool of top innovations and start-up companies. Now in its fifteenth year, TechConnect World provides one of the world's largest gatherings of highly vetted investment and corporate partnering opportunities, and the joint program this year with the Cleantech Open promises to be an amazing representation of game-changing technologies and opportunities,” said Matthew Laudon, CEO of TechConnect.

To participate in the Cleantech Open National Conference and TechConnect World on June 21: www.cleantechopenconference.com. To participate in the four days of TechConnect World: www.techconnectworld.com. REGISTER FOR JUST $100 UNTIL JUNE 1ST: Early-bird attendees can register for $100 until June 1st, when tickets will go up to $150. Click Here to Register

About TechConnectTechConnect is a global technology outreach and development organization. Through our innovative programs and conferences, we deliver the most promising technologies to the world’s top corporate, investment, and government professionals.TechConnect is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Massachusetts and California. www.techconnect.org

About The Cleantech OpenThe Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest cleantech accelerator. We provide entrepreneurs and technologists the resources needed to launch successful cleantech companies. Our mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges. The 581 companies in the Cleantech Open’s accelerator programs have raised more than $660 million in external capital. Learn more at www.cleantechopen.com - YouTube - Facebook - LinkedIn - Twitter: @cleantechopen. The Cleantech Open is made possible by the generous support provided by our Global Partner, Chevron; National Education Partner, University of Phoenix; and National Sponsor, Wells Fargo. Regional competitions are additionally sponsored by the following corporate partners: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Deloitte, Google, The Dow Chemical Company, Faegre Baker Daniels, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Walmart, Patton Boggs, Commercial Energy, Mintz Levin, PG&E, Reed Smith, and many others.